Solicitors For Selling a House
Solicitors for Selling a house
Selling a house can be a demanding and sometimes emotional process, especially if you’re selling a property you and your family called home for many years, or if you’ve invested a lot of money into it.
Rothera Bray conveyancing solicitors have offices in Nottingham, and across the East Midlands. Our large residential property team are here to help and guide you through the process and client care is central to our ethos.
Get a Conveyancing Quote Email Enquiry FormProperty sales can be a minefield. You need to make sure you fulfil certain legal obligations, such as:
- The redemption of your mortgage
- Ensuring certain paperwork is in place, and
- Addressing any queries resulting from searches or buyer enquiries
Whether you’re selling your home or other property privately or through an estate agent, the right solicitor will make the process as simple as possible.
What is the Process of Selling a Property?
We understand that you want to sell your property quickly and with as little hassle possible. Particularly if you want to focus on finding and moving into a new home. That’s why we’re here to support and guide you through every step.
Here’s what the process involves:
Instruct Us to Act on Your Behalf
When you instruct us, we’ll assign you a dedicated member of staff. They will take your instructions and ask you complete some initial paperwork.
This will include;
- Mortgage redemption figures, and
- Property information questionnaires
Contracts
When you have sold your property we’ll send a contract and copies of the title to the property to whoever is acting for the buyer.
You’ll need to complete forms giving details about the property as well as a fixtures, fittings and contents form. If the buyer has any queries about the property their solicitor will pass on these enquiries to us to address.
Signing of Contracts
Once the buyer’s solicitor confirms they are ready to proceed with the transaction, we’ll arrange the signing of contracts. We’ll check redemption statements to ensure there is enough money to redeem your mortgage.
Exchange of Contracts
When you and the buyer have agreed on a completion date, we can exchange contracts. Any deposit paid at this time will be retained by us until the completion of the sale. Once contracts are exchanged, the completion date is legally binding for all parties.
Completion Statement
With the contracts exchanged, we’ll request a redemption statement from your lender. We’ll also get the estate agent’s account and work out how much money is due to you on completion.
Day of Completion
You’ll need to make sure your estate agent has a set of keys. Once we have received funds from the buyer’s solicitor, we can release the keys. We’ll keep in touch with you on the day and let you know when the funds arrive and when we release the keys. We’ll then send the proceeds of the sale to you.
Why Do I Need a Solicitor When Selling a House?
Legally speaking, you don’t need a solicitor or conveyancer to sell your property. You could go through the conveyancing process yourself.
However, selling a property is a complicated process involving a lot of paperwork.
If you’re not qualified or have the experience to do your own conveyancing, it could lead to;
- Substantial delays to the sale of your property
- The complete collapse of the sale
- Significant financial losses
Instead of hiring a solicitor, you could hire an independent, licensed conveyancer. But if the sale of a property is linked to other issues that need legal expertise like divorce or tax planning, you should use a solicitor.
Can I Use the Same Property Solicitor For Selling and Buying?
Of course you can.
In fact, if you’re selling a house and buying a new one, it’s recommended you use the same solicitor. This way, they can act on both sides of the sale to make sure the process goes well.
What Are Rothera Bray’ Solicitor Fees For Selling a Property?
Selling a house can stressful, even when things are going well. That’s why we’re upfront about our conveyancing fees.
From the very start, we’ll provide you with all the costs involved, including:
- Disbursements from third parties
- Search fees, and
- Stamp Duty
Freehold Sale or Purchase Fees
Our fees for a standard house purchase range from around £800 up to £3,000 including VAT. The simpler the transaction, the lower the fees.
Read More About Our Freehold Sale or Purchase Fees
Leasehold or Purchase Fees
Our fees for leasehold purchase range from around £1,300 to £3,000 including VAT. Again, the simpler the transaction, the lower the fees.
Read More About Our Leasehold Sale or Purchase Fees
Mortgage and Re-mortgage Fees
These range from £595 – £795 including VAT.
Read More About Our Mortgage and Re-Mortgage Fees
How Long Does it Take to Sell a Property?
On average, it takes 14-18 weeks to sell a property. Each transaction is different, so the length of time can vary depending on;
- How long searches take to complete
- Mortgage offers
- Other parties in the chain, and
- The complexity of the transaction
At Rothera Bray, we understand the importance of dealing with property transactions. After all, it’s your future family home. That’s why we always strive to complete your sale as quickly as possible.
Why Should I Use Rothera Bray When Selling a House?
Our property and conveyancing team is made up of experienced solicitors who deliver a reliable service. We make the process of selling your house as quick and as smooth as possible.
Once you’ve instructed our conveyancing team to take care of the sale of your house, we’ll assign you with a dedicated team member. They will look after the sale from the very beginning through to completion. We’ll give you their direct phone number and email address and we’re flexible about how we work with you. If you prefer face to face meetings, email or phone communication, we can help.
We speak in plain English and we’ll keep you up-to-date at each step of the transaction. If any issues arise, like a dispute for example, we’ll deal with it on your behalf, to get a quick resolution.
Our fees are transparent, competitive and communicated upfront so you won’t be surprised later on.
Send us a message
“We explain costs clearly – so there’s no hidden surprises”
Michelle Young
Head of Conveyancing
FAQs
The costs for selling a house will vary depending on the price of the house, your solicitor’s fees, the type of estate agent you use and whether any other additional costs are involved, such as obtaining EPC certificates, removal company costs or a mortgage exit fee.
It can take on average 14 to 18 weeks to transfer the deeds, exchange and complete, however the overall length of time it can take to sell your home can vary depending on several factors including whether the buyer is also selling a house, the efficiency of the buyer’s and seller’s solicitors, whether you’re stuck in a chain or how quickly an offer is made on your property.
If you are not in a chain, this can make the process quicker. It takes on average 8 weeks from accepting the offer to completing the sale if you’re selling a property with no chain.
You don’t normally need to pay tax when you sell a property, unless it is a second home or a buy-to-let property, in which case you need to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT).
You might also have to pay Capital Gains Tax if you lease out part of the property or if your home is partly used as a business premises. Current Capital Gains Tax rates on property are 18% for basic-rate taxpayers and 28% for higher and additional-rate taxpayers.
You can work out the amount of gain or profit on the property by deducting the amount you paid for the property from the sales price.
You only pay stamp duty if you are buying a house, not when you are selling a property. If you are buying a property as well as selling a property, then you will pay stamp duty on the property you are purchasing.
Our fees for selling a freehold property range from £695 to £3000 including VAT, depending on how complex the transaction is. This fee includes conveyancing disbursements such as Land Registry Search fees and bank transfer fees.
For the sale of leasehold properties our fees range from £1200 to £2500 including VAT. Visit our Freehold Sale Fees page and our Leasehold Sales Fees page for more information on our fees for selling a property.
Yes, you can sell your house if you have equity release. However, if you have a lifetime mortgage or home reversion scheme through an equity release provider and you are looking to move to a new property, the equity release provider will have to deem the new property suitable.
If you are looking to downsize and move to a smaller property or a property that is worth less then you may need to pay off some of your equity release plan early, which could also result in early repayment fees. You may be able to avoid these fees by asking for a downsizing clause or downsizing protection to be included in your equity release plan.
You cannot legally sell a house that is under probate.
You can put a house up for sale under probate and conduct viewings and agree a sale price with a potential buyer. You can also carry out other preparatory work, and your buyer can apply for a mortgage in principle and arrange their survey. However, until probate is granted you cannot exchange contracts or complete.
If you decide to put the house up for sale before probate is granted you will need to tell estate agents, prospective buyers, and anyone else you communicate with during the process of selling the house that the sale cannot be completed until probate is granted.
If you need help with selling a house under probate, our Wills and Probate team can help you in applying for probate whilst our Conveyancing team check the legal documents for the property.
Yes, you can sell a house with a mortgage, but when you have sold your house, you will need to pay the mortgage back with some of the proceeds of the house sale.
Whilst you can apply for another mortgage if you’re also looking to buy a property, the mortgage lender will need to be aware that you already have a mortgage, even though you are paying it back.
Alternatively, you can transfer the mortgage you currently have, with the same rates, to a new property, which is known as ‘porting’.
Whilst you don’t legally need a solicitor to sell your home, it can be a lengthy and complex process and you will be responsible for carrying out a number of tasks including preparing, and distributing a contract for sale, organising final accounts and preparing a final settlement.
Also, some mortgage providers insist that a solicitor or licensed conveyancer is used to protect their interests, or if you are selling a leasehold, the owner of the freehold may request that a solicitor is used for the house sale.
The main fees involved when selling a house are:
- Estate agents’ fees-this could be charged as a fixed fee or charged at a percentage of the selling price; the fee quoted should include VAT
- Mortgage fees for porting or remortgaging-if you decide to remortgage there may be a mortgage exit fee on your old mortgage, and if you’re still in the fixed rate period you could face a hefty early repayment charge
- EPC fees-when selling your home, you will need to provide the buyer with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property, which usually cost in the range of £50-£120 and is valid for 10 years
- Conveyancing fees-this will be charged at a flat fee or a percentage of the value of the property; if you are also buying a property the same solicitor can deal with that transaction. There will also be administrative costs for electronic ID checks, money-laundering checks, and a bank transfer fee
- Removal company fees-Hiring a professional removal company can set you back anywhere between £200 to £1500 depending on the time of day/day of the week/time of the month that you require them, the size of van or lorry needed, the distance the removal company needs to travel to get from your old house to your new property, whether you are packing items or asking the removals company to pack them, and the amount of packing materials required
Whilst you can sell a property without the deeds, you still need to be able to prove that you own the property. If your property is registered with the Land Registry, then they will have a definitive record of ownership and will be able to provide the information required. You can also obtain a copy of the original deeds by viewing an electronic copy by searching the Land Registry’s property information listing or purchasing a copy of any filed deeds for £7.00 per document.
If you need to prove ownership but the property is not registered, try contacting the solicitor that you or the owner used to buy the property, as they might still have a copy of your deeds. Alternatively, the deeds could be with your mortgage provider if you took out a mortgage when you bought the property. If you still cannot find the deeds, then you will need to apply for the process of reconstructing the title with the help of an experienced solicitor.
The legal stages of the conveyancing process are usually as follows:
- Choose a solicitor to carry out your conveyancing before you receive any offers
- Sign and return the solicitor’s Letter of Engagement and provide them with proof of ID
- Complete the forms your solicitor sends you; these will be the Property Information Form, and Fittings and Contents Form (and a Leasehold Information Form if the property is leasehold)
- You or the solicitor will need to request the Management Information Pack from the freeholder or managing agent
- Send your solicitor copies of documents and certificates mentioned in the forms you have completed (e.g. guarantees, warranties, building regulations sign-off), plus any additional documents your solicitor requests
- Inform your mortgage lender that you are selling your property and find out how much is outstanding on the loan and whether you will need to pay an early redemption penalty
- Once you have accepted an offer on your property, your solicitor will draft up a contract using the information you have provided to send to the buyer for approval
- Ensure there is access to your property for the buyer’s surveyor to examine your property. If the survey flags up any expensive work that is needed the buyer might want to negotiate on price or request that you carry out repairs before you exchange
- Answer any questions that the buyer or their solicitor has arising from the survey or searches, as well as any queries which weren’t covered in the forms you completed
- Your solicitor will draft a final contract to read and sign and a completion date will be agreed between both parties
- Your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor will exchange contracts and your solicitor will receive the buyer’s deposit
- Once you have exchanged you can pack, organise removals and inform people of your change of address before completing
- Your solicitor should receive the balance payment for the property from the buyer’s solicitor on the day of completion
- On the day of completion your solicitor will transfer legal documents proving ownership to the buyer’s solicitor; organise the redemption of your mortgage; pay estate agent fees and solicitor’s fees out of the proceeds; send a completion statement including all monies and ask you to pay any outstanding amounts owed
- Once you have completed you must vacate the property and hand the keys over to the estate agent
Posted 11/02/2021
I was extremely pleased with the service that Kerry provided in order to sell my mothers house. Good, prompt communication and all questions dealt with or answered as requested. Consequently I would recommend yours services to others.
Adam Stevens
Posted 26/01/2022
Kerry and Carolyn were always friendly and professional and kept meet up to date every stage of the journey. Most of our communicating was online which was great as documents could be sent instantly and our conversations were in writing in case I needed to refer back to them later on. I cannot recommend them enough.
Tony Stott
Posted 26/01/2022
Kerry and Carolyn were always friendly and professional and kept meet up to date every stage of the journey. Most of our communicating was online which was great as documents could be sent instantly and our conversations were in writing in case I needed to refer back to them later on. I cannot recommend them enough.
Tony Stott
Posted 26/01/2022
After almost a year of being messed about by potential buyers my house sale went through. I feel that both Kerry and Carolyn of Rothera Bray conveyancing team were patient and understanding of my situation and nothing seemed too much trouble. The actual conveyancing process seemed effortless on my part and when the actual final purchase of the property went through, they kept me informed of what was happening throughout all stages. I would certainly recommend Rothera Bray for any conveyancing required and only wished others were as professional and understanding in their approach.
Julie Wyer
Posted 26/01/2022
After almost a year of being messed about by potential buyers my house sale went through. I feel that both Kerry and Carolyn of Rothera Bray conveyancing team were patient and understanding of my situation and nothing seemed too much trouble. The actual conveyancing process seemed effortless on my part and when the actual final purchase of the property went through, they kept me informed of what was happening throughout all stages. I would certainly recommend Rothera Bray for any conveyancing required and only wished others were as professional and understanding in their approach.
Julie Wyer
Posted 07/03/2022
The service was exceptional and Vicki went above and beyond to make the whole process a much less stressful process , especially buying through the Covid period.
Gavin Crossland
Posted 07/03/2022
Thank you so much to Emily and her team. We managed to buy a house within 6 weeks and connect the selling of our property together, saving a lot of stress, being a young family of 5 in a current pandemic. Professional and approachable with quick responses. Emily went above and beyond to help us get what we wanted!
Rachel and Austin Dekker
Posted 22/05/2023
I needed a solicitors to recreate a set of title deeds and sell my parents property after they moved in their care home. Having made numerous calls to some of the 'big' names in Nottingham and searched online for 'specialist' solicitors no one wanted to deal with me or put me off as I was POA and told me it could take months if not years to sort the title deeds. I went through the address book and I contacted Rothera Bray who were fantastic from the word go. They fully understood what was required and the urgency, and from day one made me feel special and gave me the confidence that everything would be sorted as quickly as possible. It took just 2 months to have confirmation that the title had been accepted and therefore we were able to remarket the house and get this sold. From being told 12 months to get the tile deeds sorted it took Rothera Bray just 6 months including selling the property. I want to thank Kerry and Shelby for the patience they had in my many questions and for their swift replies to my many emails. These two are a credit to the profession and I can only speak in high regards. I will be using you guys again and will recommend anyone who requires a solicitors. Thank you so much.
Ady
Posted 22/05/2023
I needed a solicitors to recreate a set of title deeds and sell my parents property after they moved in their care home. Having made numerous calls to some of the 'big' names in Nottingham and searched online for 'specialist' solicitors no one wanted to deal with me or put me off as I was POA and told me it could take months if not years to sort the title deeds. I went through the address book and I contacted Rothera Bray who were fantastic from the word go. They fully understood what was required and the urgency, and from day one made me feel special and gave me the confidence that everything would be sorted as quickly as possible. It took just 2 months to have confirmation that the title had been accepted and therefore we were able to remarket the house and get this sold. From being told 12 months to get the tile deeds sorted it took Rothera Bray just 6 months including selling the property. I want to thank Kerry and Shelby for the patience they had in my many questions and for their swift replies to my many emails. These two are a credit to the profession and I can only speak in high regards. I will be using you guys again and will recommend anyone who requires a solicitors. Thank you so much.
Ady
Posted 23/05/2023
Ellie and Michelle from the West Bridgford branch did a very good job on my house purchase. Very efficient and professional solicitors.
MB
Posted 23/05/2023
I recently used Rothera Bray for a house sale and had a very smooth, positive experience. They are far better than any other conveyancer I have used in the past. It's a real bonus having an office you can visit to deal with paperwork etc. Ellie went above and beyond, nothing was missed and she was very efficient. It felt like a personal service and I would instruct them again for any future conveyancing or legal matters.
Rebecca Tyler
Posted 23/05/2023
I have used Rothera Bray for some 30 years. I wouldn't go anywhere else. Starting with Chris Carling, and more recently Ellie Robinson at the West Bridgford office. Ellie is foremost professional, kind and supportive. I recently used this company for a family matter that was most difficult to deal with, along with dealing with cancer. Ellie has made the whole situation easier for me to deal with, taking a big weight off my shoulders. Keeping me up-to-date and advising me on the best course of action. Ellie brought this horrible situation to a quick and satisfactory conclusion. I will always use Rothera Bray, you know what you're going to get. Reliable expert work and advice. I wish Ellie all the very best in her future and thank her for a job well done.
Susan Harper
Amanda Sutcliffe
a.sutcliffe@rotherabray.co.uk
Amanda has extensive residential property experience with over 30 years practising law. This has included a great deal of commercial conveyancing which gives her a particular expertise in the selling and buying of leasehold property and complex titles.
Michelle Young
m.young@rotherabray.co.uk
Michelle Young is a residential property specialist and heads up the residential property team at Nottingham-based law firm Rothera Bray Solicitors. She’s based in our West Bridgord office.
Johanna Goddard
j.goddard@rotherabray.co.uk
Jo Goddard has over 20 years experience specialising in all aspects of residential conveyancing and regularly acts for clients on sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity and is part of one of the largest conveyancing teams across the East Midlands. She works in out Lace Market office.
Lucy Pettitt
l.pettitt@rotherabray.co.uk
Lucy Pettitt is based in our Mapperley Office and has amassed over 12 years of experience in all aspects of Conveyancing.
Lucy Walsh
l.walsh@rotherabray.co.uk
Lucy Walsh is a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Residential Conveyancing team and is based primarily at our Derby office.
Emily Weston
e.weston@rotherabray.co.uk
Emily Weston is as a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Residential Conveyancing team and is based primarily at our Beeston office.
Julekha Nathani
j.nathani@rotherabray.co.uk
Julekha specializes in residential conveyancing and is based at our Leicester office. Having qualified in 2016 she has an extensive property knowledge dealing with a wide range of conveyancing matters.
Kiran Phagura
k.phagura@rotherabray.co.uk
Kiran Phagura is an Associate Solicitor based in our Leicester Office. She specialises in all aspects of Residential Conveyancing.
Rupa Popat
r.popat@rotherabray.co.uk
Rupa Popat is an Associate Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Derby office.
Christopher Sweetman
c.sweetman@rotherabray.co.uk
Christopher is a Licensed Conveyancer based at our Market Harborough office. He specialises in all aspects of Residential Property including New Build Purchases and Unregistered Properties.
Kerry Brown
k.brown@rotherabray.co.uk
Kerry Brown is a residential property specialist at West Brigford.
Abbey Freeman
a.freeman@rotherabray.co.uk
Abbey Freeman is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing team and is based at our West Bridgford and Nottingham Lace Market offices.
Hayley Hart
h.hart@rotherabray.co.uk
Hayley Hart is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office.
Carla Morris
c.morris@rotherabray.co.uk
Carla is the Conveyancing Assistant at our Market Harborough branch. She has 5 years’ experience working in residential conveyancing having previously worked for a large specialist conveyancing firm.
Tina Rana
t.rana@rotherabray.co.uk
Tina is a solicitor in the residential conveyancing department. She has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of residential conveyancing including, leasehold and transfer of equities.
Kerry Redfern
k.redfern@rotherabray.co.uk
Kerry Redfern is a residential property specialist in our Mapperley office.
Karen Westwood
k.westwood@rotherabray.co.uk
Karen is an experienced fully qualified Legal Executive specialising in residential conveyancing. She is based at our Leicester Office and specialises in freehold sales and purchases.
Toby Byford
t.byford@rotherabray.co.uk
Toby is a Trainee Solicitor in our Residential Conveyancing department and is currently based at our West Bridgford office.
Sophie Bellaby
s.bellaby@rotherabray.co.uk
Sophie Bellaby is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office in the heart of Nottingham city centre.
Vicki Ettles
v.ettles@rotherabray.co.uk
Vicki Ettles is a Senior Paralegal in the conveyancing department at Rothera Bray and is based at our Lace Market office.
Schiennel Holness
s.holness@rotherabray.co.uk
Schiennel Holness is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office in the heart of Nottingham city centre.
Grace Millward
g.millward@rotherabray.co.uk
Grace Millward is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray Residential Conveyancing department and is based at the Beeston office.
Shelby Richardson
s.richardson@rotherabray.co.uk
Shelby Richardson is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our West Bridgford branch.
Ellie Robinson
em.robinson@rotherabray.co.uk
Ellie Robinson is a Senior Paralegal in the residential conveyancing department at Rothera Bray and is based at our West Bridgford office.
Kavita Vashisht
k.vashisht@rotherabray.co.uk
Kavita Vashisht is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Residential Conveyancing department and is based at our Beeston office.
Samantha Buckle
s.buckle@rotherabray.co.uk
Samantha Buckle is a paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Lace Market office in Nottingham city centre.
Safina Metcalfe
s.metcalfe@rotherabray.co.uk
Safina Metcalfe is a Paralegal based within our Residential Conveyancing department. Safina is based at our Head Office in the Lace Market.
Laura Runcak
l.runcak@rotherabray.co.uk
Laura Runcak is a Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Conveyancing department and is based at our Derby office.
Sally Cooper
s.cooper@rotherabray.co.uk
Sally is our first point of contact for any new conveyancing enquiries that come in to the department and provides a bespoke quoting service for prospective clients, estate agents and other referrers of work.
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